Meat-holding clamp for slicing-machines.



J. I. MGGORMICK. MEAT HOLDING CLAMP FOB SLICING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED TUNE 23, 1913.

1,1 22,526. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. I. MGGORMICK.

MEAT HOLDING CLAMP Foa SLIGING MAGHINES.

I APPLILLAJLION FILED JUNE'Izs, 191B.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

iiNrrnp s'rArns rAriiNa onirica. JOHN I. Masoni/iron, or CHICAGO, rLLrNoIs, Assroivoja, BY iansNn IASsIGNMENTS, yTo n. s. sLrcrNG MACHINE coi/rrANY, or ci-iircAedrLLrNors, A coaroaATroN or ILLINOIS.

Original application filed April 21, 1913,

To allai/1.0m it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN I. MCCORMICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meat-Holding Clamps for Slicing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to improvements in slicing machines, and more particularly it relates to improvements in meat holding clampsparticularly adapted though not necessarily limited in its use in connection with the type of machine shown andl described in mv application for United States Letters Patent. Serial No. 763,226, filed April 21,1913, and of which the present application is a division.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved clamp adapted to hold an article which is substantially round or i irregular in cross section, and also is adapted for holding a substantiallv flat article, while the article is being sliced.

To the attainment of these ends. and the laccomplishment of other new and useful obiects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty. in substantiallv the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fullv described and claimed and shown in the accompanving drawings exemplifying the invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, of an improved slicing machine having a clamp applied thereto. constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, and with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the clamp.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and in the present exemplification of this invention. the numeral 10 designates the base of the supporting structure from which the uprights 11 proiect, and slidable upon the base, upon suitable guides. is an article support 12, adapted to be lifted from the machine bv the handles 13and transported to any position.

The article support is intermittently advanced in the present form of the invention, by means of a pinion 14 which meshes with a rack 15, carried by the lower face of the article support, and the pinion 14: is rotated MEAT-HOLDING CLAMP ron ysI.rcINcsf-iiiAcniivias.

specification of Leiters raient. Pawnee@ Dec, 29, 19M,

Serial No. 763,226. Divided and this application filed June 23.

1913. Serial 110.775,245. v

by meansof a gear v16 meshing vtherewith and which gear is carried 'by a shaft 17 having a ratchet 18 secured thereto.

Arlever 19 is mounted 4for pivotal movement, and carries a dog 2O which engages with the teeth of the ratchet 18, and a crank arm 21 carrying an anti-friction device 22, is connected with a shaft 23 journaled across the uprights 11. This shaft23 is oscillated by a handle 24 and the crank arm 21 is adapted to engage a'stop device 25 which latter is adjustably supported by .means of the apertures 26 in one of the uprights 11. When the handle 2-1 is oscillated in one direction the shaft 23 will be rocked, and this will rock the crank arm 21 to move it away from the lever 19 and thereby permit the elastic member 27 to move the Vlever in a direction such that the pawl 20 will take a new hold vuponvthe ratchet 18, when the handle 24 is moved in another.` direction it will move the lever 19 against the stress of the elastic member' 27 to cause the dog 20 .to move the ratchet and the shaft 17, to feedv i stute no portion of the present application,

but form the subject matter of the application above referred to. i f Movable betweenl the uprights 11 is a clamp designated generally by the reference numeral 29, and this clamp is provided with portions 30 which enter guide-ways 31 for l holding the clamp lagainst displacement. The clamp 29 comprises a body, the central portion of which is preferably arched as -at 32, while the extremities are substantially straight or horizontal as at 33s0v that the clamp will be adapted to clamp a small, thin or flat piece of meat, upon the" article supof the clamp with the article, while the central or arched portion 32 operates to engagea larger article, suoli as a ham or the like,

for holding it in position, and which latter article is either substantially roundin cross section, or irregular. The clamp is preferably provided with ribs or teeth 31 which engage the article and hold the latter in position, while being cut. Thev clamp is recipioo port, by the engagement of the portions 33 rocated between the uprights 1l by means of the link 35 one end of which is pivotally connected as at 36 with the clamp and the other end is adjustably connected with the handle 24 by means of the fastening device 37, which engages the handle and passes through suitable apertures 38 in the link. rlhus it will be manifest that when the handle 24- is oscillated the clamp 29 will be reciprocated and the degree of movement of the clamp may be varied, while the degree of movement of the handle remains constant, through the medium of the adjustable link 35 and fastening device 37.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the clamping device 29 is arranged in a position inclined to the horizontal, that is, with the forward extremity of the clamp depressed, so that it will be closer to the article support l2 than the rear of the clamp, and this forward extremity of the clamp is preferably arranged in close proximity to the forward edges of the uprights 1l, and against which edges a cutter is placed and moved during the slicing operation. T his arrangement of the clamp is particularly advantageous when soft meats are being cut, and also serves whenever any article is being cut, to exert a greater pressure upon the article, in close proximity to the cutter, during the operation, than on the remaining portion of the article, thereby insuring better and cleaner cuts.

W/hile in the present exemplification of this invention the preferred form and construction of the various parts have been shown and described it is to be understood that many changes may be made in the details of construction and in the arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit of this invention.

llllhat is claimed as new is l. The combination of a substantially flat article support, and a clamping device cooperating tlierewith,.said clamping device having an article engaging surface, a portion only of which surface is recessed and 'nto which recess the article projects.

2. he combination of a substantially flat article support, and a clamping device cooperating therewith, said clamping device having an article engaging surface, a portion of which surface intermediate its ends is arched, the remaining portions of the surface being substantially straight and projecting laterally from the arched portion vand on the opposite sides thereof.

3. lThe combination of a substantially flat article support, and a clamping device cooperating therewith, said clamping device having arched and substantially straight article contacting portions, coperating with the said support. v

rlhe combination of a substantially Hat article support, and an article clamping device coperating therewith, a portion ol the article engaging surface of the article clamping device being' shaped to form an open recess, and the face of the article engaging surface being undulated.`

ln testimony whereof l `have signed my name to this specilication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 20th day of June A. D. 1913.

Jonu r. Meccanica.

`Witnesses J. H. JCCHUM, Jr., FRANK N. REED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C. 

